Meta

OK, I'm not going to change the text below which was what I wrote for the first version of this post, but be aware that it is incorrect:

Not exactly a closing, though if it sells, I guess any businesses there (which seem to be law offices) will have to move, but a change in status at least for this historic house on the corner of Laurel & Pickens Streets. For some reason, LoopNet has three slightly different listings for this building (here, here and here). One of them notes that the house has nine office spaces available. Of course in a setup like this, probably a lot of common space and bathrooms are shared, which can be a drawback.

UPDATE 22 February 2012: Now for the actual correction! As pointed out by commenter Terry, the pictures in the links above don't match, and I find I have somehow confused Laurel Stret and Blanding Street. The house above is on BLANDING street. It is still an historic house converted to offices, but it is not the Ratchford House! This and this are the correct listing links. And apparently the house is

[A]djacent to Robert Mills House and Hampton Preston Mansion.

I have changed the post title to eliminate the reference to "The Ratchford House" and fix the street address. Sorry for the operator headspace error!

This house was built around 1850 and was the home to Dr. George Howe, a professor at the Presbryterian Seminary located in what is now the Robert Mills House. Howe was married to Anna Roosevelt who was the sister of the mother of Theodore Roosevelt. Because of the family's northern ties, the house was spared during Sherman's visit.

Ironically, the Howe's son married the sister of Woodrow Wilson (who's father also taught at the school). Wilson would defeat Roosevelt in the 1912 presidential race.

@Del- it is on the register. The area around it is call Columbia Historic District 2. (#1 is the area around the Governor's Mansion.)
BTW- Ainsely Hall never lived in that house nor was it ever used as a private residence. It was a Presbryterian semminary and later the original home of Columbia Bible Colle, now CIU.

I thought that Ainsley Hall's wife stayed there for a short time before the Seminary moved there. I do know that after CBC moved out from there they were in the old Colonia Hotel where the AT&T building stands now.

@Del- no she never lived there. She was so saddled with debts when her husband died unexpectedly that she had to sell the house and all the new furnishings that he had bought for it before ever moving in.